I've been wondering about it. I'm not a big fan of Python, I took it in one semester and never came back to it, because we specialize in C, C++ and Java.
I'm aware that I'll need it again in 'Artificial Intelligence', but, instead of Googling it, I'd like to know your opinions. This summer I could practice some Python abilities if it is needed. Why is Python so popular? What is making it so special?
I personally don't like python at all, but I think it's the same reason VB was so popular in the late 90's, it's much easier to learn and faster to develop with than other languages.
What Realistic Error said ^. My professor at the moment has taught a plethora of programming languages to the beginners programming course and has ultimately decided on Python because it has fairly simple syntax, but he doesn't favor it over other languages by any means. I suppose it's easier to focus on the algorithms and the "meat" of what you're doing when you don't have to worry as much about syntax and structure?
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I worked with a guy who insisted on programming with Python for some beaglebone solution he was designing. He assured us that it was well supported and could do everything we needed it to do, yet he struggled constantly with having to find add-ons every step of the way. By the time he was sufficiently able to stand it up, he had run out of space on the SD card hosting his OS, so the stupid thing couldn't even do the single task it was designed for. I had to port a considerable amount of a C# solution to Python for him to integrate it, and now we'll never use it for anything.
My takeaway was that Python was a niche programming language, and that it takes a specialist to know how to use it, but more importantly, when to use it.
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I know C/ C++ and software specific syntax for MATLAB and Scilab, and I'm used to working with all the loops and big a~ahem butt arrays with strings and numeric values and by now python's supposedly easier-to-read language seem so counter intuitive for me that I'll have to do some intense coding exercises to really "get it"
much wildcard
so frustration
wow.
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I know quite a few programming languages and the reason I use python is simple. If I get an idea to implement something, python is easy code code in, has an excellent library support and I need to code fewer lines. The same thing would take me 2x time in Javascript, 5x in Java, and 6x in C++. It's simply a matter of convenience, nothing more
Last edited by Tyler Durden; 12-22-2018 at 12:40 AM.
I think it's a pretty easy language to learn as a first language. Also in my experience in taking a long break from writing code, it was the easiest to pick up again because of how readable it is.